Piasa Bird
Also known as: Piasa, The Bird That Devours Men
A dragon-bird painted on Mississippi River bluffs by the Illini, feared as a man-eater.
1673 (documented by Marquette)
Alton, Illinois, USA
Large (deer-sized body with wings)
Predatory, man-eating (in legend)
Cultural tradition
The Lore
The Piasa Bird is a winged, antlered creature originally depicted in a large rock painting on limestone bluffs above the Mississippi River near present-day Alton, Illinois. French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet documented the painting in 1673. Illini tradition described it as a fearsome predator that carried off humans until a chief named Ouatoga devised a plan to slay it. The original painting has been destroyed, but a recreation now marks the site.
Body Type
Folklore Origin
Notable Witnesses
- Jacques Marquette
- Louis Joliet
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